Russian

Alyosha (Альоша; real name Olena Kucher, Олена Кучер) is a well-known contemporary Ukrainian pop singer and songwriter who has written hits for both herself and other artists. She is known both for her male name—“Alyosha” is usually a diminutive of “Aleksey”—and, of course, her singing. Her website introduces her thus: “In her character, as well […]

Aurora (Аврора) is a 2006 Ukrainian drama that puts a human face on the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. The film is in both Russian and Ukrainian. The film takes place in the 1980s and tells the story of adolescent Aurora (played by Анастасія Зюркалова), who lives in an orphanage in Pripyat, Ukraine (Прип’ять), and dreams of […]

Russkoe Radio plays pop music exclusively in Russian. What’s big in Russian-language pop and dance music? Russkoe Radio’s pop playlists can tell you. Once a month, SRAS provides a snapshot of what’s at the top of their charts, with YouTube videos and links to our Russian music site.   1. “Твои Глаза” (“Your Eyes”)—Світлана Лобода […]

Animal Jazz (normally written as Animal ДжаZ) is a Russian alternative rock/pop group based in St. Petersburg. Since their founding in 2000 the group has released 11 full-length records, including four acoustic albums, as well as 16 singles and four DVDs. They have also played a number of important festivals, including Invasion, Wings, SKIF, Megahaus, and Kubana. The […]

Gilza (Гильzа) is a contemporary Russian rock band fronted by Lesya Gismatulina (Леся Гисматулина). Gismatulina has quickly risen to prominence as one of the leading rock vocalists in Russia, and was nominated for Best Soloist by Nashe Radio in 2016. As a group, Gilza is enjoying a lot of popular success as well, having recently […]

SerGa (СерьГа) is a Russian rock band from Moscow. The band is fronted by legendary rock musician Sergey Galanin (Сергей Галанин) of Brigada C (Бригада С) fame. The group plays an experimental brand of rock music, and their official motto is “For those who have ears” (“Для тех, у кого есть уши”). SerGa was formed […]

Northern Fleet (Северный Флот) is a contemporary Russian rock band. Formed in 2013 by members of the seminal King and Jester (Король и Шут) after the death of frontman Mikhail Gorshenov (Михаил Гошенов), Nothern Fleet plays a distinctive brand of rock influenced by metal, industrial, and hardcore punk. Northern Fleet annouced their formation as a band […]

Casual is a contemporary Russian rock group. Started in 2009, Casual has seen quite a bit of success, with a number of singles climbing the Nashe Radio charts, as well as four successful albums: Inside (Инсайд), People Always Went (Все время люди шли), 242 Grams (242 грамма), and Be Quiet (Сделай тише). The group has played […]